The invention relates to the automatic creation of a specific atmosphere by controlling contributions of sensorial perceptible stimulus means such as lighting means, sound generation means, and scent generation means.
The atmosphere in a given area such as a room or a building is a combination of sensorial perceptible stimuli such as the color and intensity of the ambient light, the ambient temperature, various scents, and the background sound. Technically, it is possible to influence the atmosphere by controlling the contributions of sensorial perceptible stimulus means such as lighting means, sound generation means, and scent generation means, as disclosed in US 2002/0113909 A1. For example, a convenient atmosphere for stimulating the desire to buy something may be created by a suitable background music and a dimmed ambient lighting. Various sensorial perceptible stimulus means for home-use such as multi-color lights for creating an ambient lighting, sound generators for creating a background sound, video displays for creating visual impressions, and scent generators may be controlled by a central processing unit. A user may adjust or program the individual contributions of the stimuli to a desired atmosphere separately, for example by manually adjusting the individual contributions via the central processing unit, which communicates the adjustments to the stimulus means. A beach scene is a typical example for a specific atmosphere with lights adjusted to simulate a sunny day, the sound system producing sounds of waves, and a display such as a television display showing beach scene images. However, the creation of a specific atmosphere by separately controlling contributions of sensorial perceptible stimulus means is tedious and complicated.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to support a user in creating a specific atmosphere by controlling the contributions of sensorial perceptible stimulus means.